


Sacrifice

by izzybelledot



Series: Unnecessary Trauma and Healing For The Soul [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BadBoyHalo - Freeform, Blood, Character Study, Claustrophobia, Darryl Noveschosch Needs a Hug, Darryl Noveschosch-centric, Demon Darryl Noveschosch, Dreams and Nightmares, Gen, Good Darryl Noveschosch, Good Friend TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Guys I don't know, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I don't know man, I'm kidna just hopping people will write more BBH angst or hurt comfort for me to consume, Immortal Darryl Noveschosch, Kinda?, Manipulation, Mind Manipulation, Self-Sacrifice, The Crimson, Whump, Why do we have to use their real names???, can we please not use their real names?, it's about c!badboyhalo, the egg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:27:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29254425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izzybelledot/pseuds/izzybelledot
Summary: Badboyhalo was devoted to the egg, but he was not blinded to his actions. He could see the pain in his friend's eyes, felt how wrong it was to hunt his friends down. It builds and builds but he can't seem to stop following orders, can't seem to convince himself that he was in control.He removed himself from the equation and sacrificed himself to the Crimson. He was immortal technically, the ultimate feeding source for a creature like the egg.He wasn't expecting it to hurt so much.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Darryl Noveschosch, Antfrost & Darryl Noveschosch, Darryl Noveschosch & TommyInnit, Sam | Awesamdude & Darryl Noveschosch, Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch
Series: Unnecessary Trauma and Healing For The Soul [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151123
Comments: 55
Kudos: 283
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	Sacrifice

When Bad was told that he was acting different, he didn’t believe them. 

Maybe he was already too far gone, or maybe he’d never had a choice, to begin with. It wasn’t apparent at first- just how far gone he was. He waved off concerns with a laugh, bantered seamlessly when an uncomfortable question was almost raised. He’d never been especially good at acting in his opinion, never really having a need to do so. But he learned quickly, smiling and assuring his friends that he was fine. If he spent time mining tirelessly for precious metals to feed the egg, then no one knew that but him.

Him and the egg.

Bad poured countless days into serving the egg, tirelessly providing sustenance and working to convince others to serve the egg as well. It was slow going, sometimes he felt like he’d lost progress rather than gained any. There was so much going on that no one noticed his split attention, Skeppy was the only one who might’ve noticed- but he wasn’t around. 

Bad grew closer to the egg, sitting by it and speaking about his friends, his desires, his fears. He spoke about the wars, and the Badlands. He whispered to the egg everything he was too afraid to tell anyone else. And he felt the egg’s love and acceptance for him, even if he felt tired afterward. It was worth it, it had to be.

Watching the blood vines grow over the server gave him a sense of pride, a feeling of accomplishment more addicting than any project he’d worked on in the past. So why shouldn’t he give it what it needed? Diamonds, emeralds, iron, and gold were such small prices to pay in comparison.

But then the egg, or the Crimson as Bad had taken to calling it, wanted more.

The egg didn’t feed on nutrients in the soil or cooked beef. The egg was primarily concerned with _desires, _and that which is coveted or adored by others. the Crimson could grant your wishes if you’d let it, keep you happy and content for all your life. But it needed to be fed in return that which is valuable. The precious metals worked for a while, the SMP beginning to be overrun with the vines. But Bad began to see them less and less as valuable, and the egg needed more.__

__The Crimson needed blood._ _

__Specifically, the Crimson had cried out for Tommy’s blood. Tommy because he wasn’t affected by the egg, Tommy because he would eventually try to be a hero and destroy the Crimson. Destroy everything Bad was working towards._ _

__Bad knew he should hate Tommy, knew it in how the Crimson hated Tommy. Knew it in how the Crimson reminded Bad of what he was working towards. His best friend was trapped, emotionless and empty. The egg reminded him that he could have him back if Bad obeyed._ _

__But Bad couldn’t hate Tommy._ _

__He tried, he really did- convincing himself of his hatred on occasion. He hunted him down but stopped as soon as Sam put forth any effort. He trapped him in a box but didn’t force Tommy to abandon his possessions beforehand as he would with anyone else. It took him a while, but eventually Bad realized why._ _

__Because Tommy had already gone through too much pain._ _

__Sam had been taking care of him; developing a whole other persona with the singular goal to help Tommy cope and begin to work in healthy ways. Bad had seen Sam, exhausted and caught up in his own projects, setting them aside to queue up animal crossing noises when Tommy was around. Because everyone knew that Tommy, and Tubbo for that matter, hadn’t deserved what Dream had put them through._ _

__Bad knew on some level he didn’t want to acknowledge, that the egg didn’t have his interests at heart. That realization was buried beneath layers of desperation and hope and grief, and even though Bad couldn’t find enough in him to care about saving himself from its influence- he hesitated when the egg ordered him to hunt down Tommy for good._ _

__To give the Crimson the red it craved._ _

__He felt selfish for it, of course, working twice as hard since his realization to provide for the egg. He also checked in on Skeppy when possible, being driven to work even harder whenever he did so. Skeppy wasn’t meant to be so cold and uncaring, it made his chest burn and his hands shake to think about Skeppy being so apathetic._ _

__

__He was foolish to hope the egg would be patient._ _

___"“̶̯͠I̷̜̎ ̸͚̄a̶̯͝m̴̯̃ ̶͎̎ḣ̴͎u̶̡͊n̸̡͠g̴͓̕r̶̠͂y̶̺̆.” ____ _

____Waves of power rushed through Bad with every word the egg spoke. It should knock him off his feet, but instead, it felt more like someone petting the top of his head. It was comfort and might and a promise of whatever he wanted wrapped up in one._ _ _ _

____His stomach flipped over in unease._ _ _ _

____“We can bring you food,” Ant placates, his fingers flexing against his trident. Bad wondered absently if Ant was afraid. If he knew on the same level that Bad did that something was wrong. “We’ve already made lots of progress. Sam doesn’t want to destroy you anymore.”_ _ _ _

_____“I̵̜̒t̸̰͌’̴̨͑s̸͓̅ ̷̫́n̶̻͆o̵̩͘ẗ̴̜́ ̴͓̑e̶̦̒n̶̥̉ọ̵ṵ̸̑g̵̯̾ẖ̶̚.̷̨͗” ____ _ _ _

______Bad’s tail lashed harshly to the side, disappointed in himself for failing his master. The Crimson was all he really had anymore- everyone else too focused on making him see the egg as evil to help him through this. Skeppy was gone, Ant was sinking as well, and he didn’t know what Quckiety was doing- not that the egg had given him permission to seek him out. The presence of the Crimson focused, making him snap back to full attention._ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Y̵̯̓o̵̎͜ů̶͇ ̴̲͆k̸̟̓n̸͉̊o̷̩͛w̵̻̚ ̶͎̔w̶̺͘h̴̟̒ą̴̄t̴̟̔ ̶̝Ḯ̴̗ ̸̩̒w̴̳̐a̶͍̓ñ̵̰t̶̻̿.” ____ _ _ _ _ _

________He did._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Sam has been protecting him,” Bad reasoned. There was no point delaying the inevitable, the egg knew that Bad knew. “He wants to keep him safe after he found out what Dream did.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“Y̴̠̒o̶̥͂ṳ̷̕ ̶̟͘h̴̪͊a̸̫̎v̵̠̀e̴̙̊ ̴̨̐b̶̧̏e̵̻̿e̵̛͔n̵͚͌ ̷͉̓h̸̰̅e̵̢͂s̸͍̚i̵̞͋t̷͍̓a̶͇̓t̵͍͝ī̴͚n̸̥̿g̷̹͠.” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________There it was, the truth that everyone in the room knew. There was no way Tommy should have been able to escape him so easily, he was a professional manhunter. He hunted down Dream and chased Technoblade across the whole SMP without realizing Techno had been trying to avoid him. Bad didn’t look at Ant, a bit too afraid of how his friend might judge him for his failures. Maybe not ordinarily, but the egg was of utmost importance, and he had failed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“He’s young,” Bad protested, voice shaky to his own ears. “He’s no threat.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“T̵͕̈́h̷̟͑a̵̧̾t̵̻ ̸̲̕i̸̲s̵͙̈ ̷͎̏n̵͎͆o̵̜̿t̷̰͠ ̷̗̉f̸̲̊õ̷̫r̸͇̿ ̸̡̋y̵̲̔o̷̩͝u̵̥̐ ̷͔͗t̷̰͑ő̷̙ ̴̦͘d̴͕͠e̵͖͋c̸̭̐ĭ̶̧d̸͎͊ė̵͈.̷̭̈́ ̶̝͗I̶̬̍ ̷̡̑r̴̤̕ẽ̵͙q̷̣͌u̷̜̇i̷͔͐r̴̥̍e̷̤̓ ̵̩f̸̹̚o̶̦̒ó̶̗d̵͚̽.” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________A silence stretches through the statue room, it’s heavy. Bad’s was at a crossroad now, but he feels that the choice has been made for him already. He wouldn't betray the Crimson; couldn't even if he tried. He’s tried._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I have an idea.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Ant’s ear twitched, unwilling or unable to turn away from the egg. Bad felt similarly, but could still see how wrong it felt- that was half of the irony of the situation. The egg didn’t seem upset, curious more than anything._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________“W̸̲͑h̵̦ą̶̈́ṯ̶̒ ̵͎̃ṣ̶̈́o̴͉͑r̵͉̓ţ̸̽ ̷̥ơ̵̢f̶̬̚ ̵̟̃i̵̮͐d̵̼̑e̷̝̔a̴͙͝?̸͋͜” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Feed off of me,” Bad suggested, not noticing if Ant had visibly reacted or not. This was his one bailout, even if it came at a price. He felt selfish for offering it, essentially abandoning the entire server, but he couldn't see any other way to stop. “I won’t die nearly as quickly as anyone else, and if you gave me a break every now and then, then I might not die at all. Ant can focus his efforts in spreading seeds, defending you, and we can launch an attack when you’re stronger.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Dry amusement echoed in his head, and Bad felt another rush of contentment spread through him. He noticed Ant was facing him, something unreadable in his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“W̷̟̓h̸̢͝a̷͍̿t̸̻̊ ̵̜͘ä̴̼́ ̷̞̓g̸̋ͅo̶̢͘o̴̼͝ḍ̵̑ ̶̲̎s̵͕̓ȩ̴̇r̸͗ͅv̷̫̄â̶̳n̵̔ͅț̸͆ ̵̨̋y̶̛͔õ̷̝u̶̪̓ ̸͕͘à̵̜r̸̺͠e̷͙̓,” _The Crimson praised him, vines shifting around it’s base. _“C̶̲̋ơ̸̤m̵̦͝e̴͙̔.” ______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________He was moving forward before he realized it, his footfall heavy as he came closer. There was a notch near the base of the egg, a small little alcove made of interlocked vines, and the shell of the egg itself. He hesitated at the entrance, wondering half-heartedly if it reminded him more of a hug or a cage. The walls were so close together, confining and terrifying this near._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________“R̷e̴l̷a̵x̴.̸ ̴I̶ ̶w̶i̴l̴l̶ ̸g̶i̷v̷e̸ ̴y̴o̵u̷ ̷w̴h̴a̵t̴ ̸y̸o̶u̶ ̵d̷e̷s̵i̴r̶e̵.̸ ̴D̴o̶n̵’̴t̵ ̵y̷o̷u̷ ̶w̵a̷n̴t̶ ̷y̸o̸u̸r̶ ̵f̴r̸i̴e̵n̵d̴ ̴b̸a̵c̷k̴?̴” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Bad fought off a shiver, ducking his head as he tucked himself into the too-small space. His skin itched, heartbeat pounding in retaliation- in warning. The vines began to creep over the entrance, shutting off the one escape route, covering the hazy light in the statue room. It felt wrong and gross and vile. A vine prodded at his hood and Bad flinched. This was ridiculous, it was too far- he couldn’t._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________“R̸̥̗͕̽e̷͙̦̰̒ļ̷̦̩̔͋̇a̴̢̹͈̔́x̴͍͌͜,” _The egg demanded, Bad complying without hesitation. _“Y̸o̵u̷ ̷a̷r̸e̶ ̴s̷a̸f̸e̴,̶ ̵a̴n̷d̶ ̶y̶o̸u̶ ̸a̸r̴e̵ ̶d̵o̴i̸n̶g̴ ̷w̴e̷l̴l̵ ̷t̵o̵ ̶s̸e̶r̴v̷e̷ ̷m̷e̵ ̸i̵n̵ ̴t̸h̸i̷s̸ ̸w̶a̶y̸.̵ ̵D̷o̷ ̶n̸o̸t̸ ̸m̸a̶k̴e̸ ̴a̶ ̶m̸i̸s̵t̷a̶k̷e̴ ̵t̴h̶a̶t̷ ̴c̴o̴u̷l̴d̷ ̷h̴a̷r̸m̷ ̶y̵o̴u̷r̶ ̶f̵̙̱̯̎̕͜ȑ̵̲̖̈́i̵̻̼̣̩̽̓̅ê̸̫̳̳͎n̵̘͆͂̿̚d̵͔͔͛.” ______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Skeppy?” Bad’s voice cracked, his eyes wide and his hands shaking. He briefly remembered Dream’s hallway, it felt like ages ago. A cell in the wall with barely enough room for a person, a sign with his best friend’s name on it. He had known when he had saw it, that he would have done anything to keep Skeppy alive. Anything.  
The entrance was nearly completely covered now, the area feeling smaller and smaller with each passing moment. He took a deep shuddering breath, a dull buzzing filling his ears. “After this, you’ll free Skeppy?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________He felt the vines begin to dig into his skin, puncturing his flesh in seconds and worming against the inside of his skin. He cried out, a weak broken thing drowned out by the feeling of pleasure the egg rewarded him with. His arms stung, the vines leeching onto him and cradling him much too tightly for comfort._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________“Ḋ̵̘o̸̥̓ ̸̟̈́̑n̸̼̉ọ̴̡̆͛ṱ̴̎͛ ̸̮͠m̷̺̥̌̓o̴͙̼͋͊v̸̜͛e̶̬̔̈.” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________“Why,” He finally breathed out, trembling in an effort to not tear himself from this prison. He had never liked small spaces, never tolerated them for more than strictly necessary. But he felt warmed by the egg, a calming fog settling in his brain and relaxing his anxious thoughts. His thoughts became slower, eyes fluttering as the egg fed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________“Y̸o̶u̵ ̵w̸i̸l̶l̴ ̶b̷e̶ ̵w̴i̵t̵h̴ ̵y̸o̸u̵r̷ ̷f̵r̷i̵e̸n̸d̶,̸ ̶y̴o̷u̷ ̴s̸h̸a̴l̷l̵ ̵b̵e̵ ̸w̴i̸t̶h̸ ̴m̷e̶.̷ ̶S̴l̴e̶e̵p̶,̸ ̵m̵y̴ ̸s̶e̶r̵v̵a̴n̵t̷.” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________His eyes closed, his breathing slowing down even as he felt something moving around his chest and curling. It was warm, but he felt so tired and strangely unreal._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________He didn’t feel anything truly real for awhile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________________"Ș̶̃̍̊͂w̷̰̬̠͕̫̮̽̈́̑͝ḙ̵̥̖̰̋̄é̷̢̪̑̈t̴̙̞͕̻̖̍̍̈́̋͐̊ ̶̨̬̣͉̞̮̭͜͝d̷̨̡̯̗̮̹̻͓͆ȑ̶̞͈̘͎͇̓́̊͜ę̶̥̓̔̌̔̍͗͜ạ̸̛̤͎̈́͌̃̀m̴̢̻̝̜͛̓͑̚͝s̶̛̛̪̪͘͝.̷͍͍̠͍̫̊̈́̌͘͜" ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________The vines would shift, sometimes squirming against him and constraining him tighter, sometimes loosening a hair’s width. Vines wrapped around every bit of him, his neck, arms, legs, chest, and eyes. He drifted in and out of a fragile consciousness, only occasionally aware of anything but the egg’s presence. He would wake up with his lungs screaming for air- a dull panic temporarily offsetting the constant Crimson at the forefront of his mind, or he would fall asleep with dreams he could never quite remember. He remembered more than not._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________Bad didn’t even realize when his limbs began to go numb, tingling and sparking painfully from malnourishment and disuse. He felt tears roll down his cheeks and wanted to know if they were really there. But his arms were so heavy, and he didn't think he cared enough to check._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________His eyes dulled, and his fur felt greasy, but he cannot see it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________The egg never quite left him alone, filling his head with visions whenever it pleased. Visions of him with Skeppy, or Ant, or Sam even. Visions of the SMP in war, blood splattered across the streets carelessly. The visions were sporadic and intense, leaving him gasping for air or for any sense of reality for a few moments before being suddenly pulled into another one. He dreamt of the cage opening, orange-tinted lighting filling his vision as a hand reached down to pull him out. Sometimes it’s Tommy, sometimes it’s Skeppy. When it’s Quackity it could be good or bad, it could be a desperate hug and a bright smile, or it could be harsh laughter, a cocky ‘I-told-you-so.’ Bad just tried to memorize all he could about his friends._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________He didn't know if the egg cared if he ever saw them again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________On one occasion; it’s Dream, with a twisted grin and a knife to his ribs before he’s shoved back into the egg’s embrace._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________He woke up choking on his tears, pulling and scratching at his fur as he sobbed. He was far past the point of trying to escape, he’d never be able to break the vines. He wouldn’t even die, not with the egg monitoring how close he would get to death. He had never wished he wasn’t immortal before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________The egg knew he cannot fight back, knew he would never follow it after this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________It feeds on his life force, his hopes, and his fears._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________He knew that he might not value himself much longer at this rate- his only chance of escape._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________"Ḑ̸̢͈͓̜̠͓̖͚̦̉̅̅̽͌̂̇͠i̵̧͌ḓ̸̱̠̞̟̠̈́̍̇̿ ̷̡̱̇̈́̅̓͝ȳ̸̱̓̾̈́̐̐o̶̙̠̟̫͎͆͋͋͊͌̎̑͗̇̕ų̷̦̬̼̤͙̠̄̃̈́ ̸̺͐̏́͊̂̏̽͒͜h̴̺͍͓̽͂̏̓ã̷͔̹̲͔̅́̏͜v̴͓̮̬̫͇̖̟͍̽̄̀͆̂̆̋̏͘ę̷̫̹͉̖̪͌̆̾̎͗̂̔͘ ̸̧̳͈̬̞̮̠͉̈͛̅̓͛a̴̢͐̂̽́͌̋̋͋̐ ̴̝̀̓n̵̢̙͓̜̻̫̦̥̜̉̌̆͋͋i̶̛̛̘̣̤̖̘̯̟̘̒̇̌͐͗̏̒͜ǧ̴̱͙̼͖̗̖̬̍͌̃̇͂̇̾̚͠ḥ̶̌̈́̒͝ẗ̶̻̙́̓͋̈́͝ͅm̴͎̙̌̈́̌̏̆́̚̚ą̸͖̙̣̗̘̟͎̟̅͋͑̋̊͆̅͘͠r̴̨͖̜͑̐̽͘ë̷̺́͌̍̽͛̾͘͠?̷̭̱͒̍̕̚" ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________There was screaming, the sound of swords clashing against each other. Bad could already imagine the war- he’d been through some before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________He didn't bother opening his eyes, it would only hurt more to see his friend's deaths. If they were actually his friends anyways- he wouldn’t blame them either way at this point._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________The space quieted down, the sound of boots clanging against stone in a furious run replacing the swords._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________And then the vines began to be peeled back, so slowly and yet so recklessly torn off by different sets of hands. Bad wondered briefly who it is this time, feeling too heavy and pleasantly content to bother getting his hopes up. He hoped it’s Skeppy, he could hardly remember what blue looked like sometimes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________The vines wrapped around him hissed violently, shifting over him to cradle him closer. Bad didn;t react, letting his eyes once again flutter shut as his breathing became more labored. Spots danced in his vision before long, coupled with loud shouting he cannot make out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________And then the vines are cut._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________________________**“P̶̧̝̣̘̪̩͔̐͛̂͛̇͋̑̊̄̾̒̏̕͠R̴̡̛͎̝̰̦̠͎͕̾̋̇̿̽̎́͐̒̈̊̚͝ͅƠ̷̠̥̍͒͆̈́̽͆̍͘̕T̷̡̹̼̭̅͛͋͐̽̉̽͝͝͠͝E̶̫͕̜̫̪̖̎̀̀̆̈́̈́̈́͜Ć̵̛͕̝͇̹̫̳̘̪̲̞͍̮͈̐̉̽͗̓̉́͌̉̅̚Ṫ̷̡̢̫̟̮̙̜̿͊͒̒̾̏̏̚ͅ ̵̡̼͈̬̜̘͕̜̖͖̩͈̯̻̜̇͂̃̏̈̄̋͋̉̇̄̀̾̔͝M̶̧̱͓̲͇̞̉̂Ḕ̸̛̖̇̈́̎̐͌̆͌̈́̇̈́̉͝”** ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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__________________________________Bad whimpered, feeling cold and tired and alone. He couldn't even open his eyes if he tried. There was pressure on his arm, pulling him for a split second before he felt himself cry out in pain. The pressure stopped, Bad felt his arms being maneuvered to allow access to the vines which were buried beneath his skin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He cracked an eye open, making out a blurred face but nothing else. The skin on his arms and neck tore and burned but the pulling didn't stop. He cried quietly, aside from the occasional whimpering burning more against his dry throat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Then he was pulled again, the vines digging in once more- desperately clinging to him and wriggling tighter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________His cry was still stuck in his throat, a sharp pain comming from his cheek and his opposite shoulder before he felt himself moving again. It hurt, hurt like nothing he'd ever experienced. His skin was hot and sweaty, but his hands trembled from the cold. He couldn't open his eyes, it was too bright._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Please,” He breathed, head clouded and woozy as he allowed himself to hope this was real. He knew it wasn’t, but he didn’t want to know what would happen if he didn’t hope._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________A hand pressed against his face, what felt like a finger tracing his cheek gently before pulling him farther from the egg._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He felt the darkness rushing to meet him, and he allows it to take him- waiting for the next vision._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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__________________________________He doesn't dream for a while, besides slight flashes of the tightness of his cocoon squeezing around him. He wondered if the Crimson had given him a break yet, he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d last like this. He couldn’t really die unless Skeppy did with his immortality, but he could have a respawn death- unaffecting his heart count but viciously painful and disorienting._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________It didn’t take long for the visions to start up again- different than before in some ways. The egg had found some sort of new material, he wondered if it was reacting based on his reactions to the dreams. He didn’t care much anymore._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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__________________________________Quackity was sitting in front of him, one hand clutching a bowl of red soup with a spoon. He was twisting the ring around his finger, smiling to himself. Bad remembered how happy he’d been when he first got it, though he didn’t know if he’d even be invited to the wedding after this mess. The egg demanded his full attention._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Quackity sighed, dipping the spoon back into the bowl and lifting it towards Bad._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He hesitated though, looking into his eyes critically. Bad blinked, unsure what was happening._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Can you hear me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________His throat was throbbing, and he didn’t think he could respond without going into a coughing fit. So he let out a short hum in confirmation. Quackity dropped the spoon back into the bowl, some of the stew splashing against his jacket sleeve. He huffed out an incredulous laugh, shaking his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I thought I was imagining it, you look more lucid.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________They stayed like that for a moment, Bad thrown off by how real Quackity looked. It wasn’t real; he knew that, but he desperately wished it was. He let out a small sigh, wishing he was asleep again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Do you remember when you showed me the egg?” Quackity asked, sounding more like he was asking himself than anything. “You were so off, it scared me a bit. You were so harsh and uncaring- I still wonder if you were really all there.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Bad wondered the same thing, if his certainty in the egg was his own thought or not. If he was really in control of what he thought if he was to blame for the hurt in Puffy’s eyes or the blood on his hands. He had wondered if Ant or Skeppy were to blame for attacking people if Jack or Punz were at fault for planting the seeds around the server._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I told you I’d get in your way,” Quackity laughed dryly. His voice cocky and matter-of-fact, but also hesitant and conflicted and real. Bad blinks at him slowly, putting as much effort as possible into smiling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“You’re good at that,” He tried to say. He couldn’t hear the words but felt his mouth had moved._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Bad’s eyes slipped shut, his head beginning to buzz pleasantly once more. He fell back into unconsciousness easily._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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__________________________________He was lying on a bed, warm sheets bunched up on either side of him and a warm blanket over him. He couldn’t remember this place and wondered if the egg had made it up. The wool was a bit itchy actually, stinging against his fur in certain areas. It might’ve just been the vines digging into his sides reflected in the dream._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Are you with me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He didn’t respond, wondering what would happen if he tried to reason with the egg. This was somehow worse than the other visions. He felt homesick. That was Sam’s voice, concerned and soft and familiar. Sam being concerned for him always broke his heart, he tried to never give him a reason to be concerned. He knew the others did the same._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Come on, just look at me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He didn’t bother opening his eyes, not wanting to see whatever monster would be in Sam’s place if he did. That had happened before, him grabbing Ant’s paw only for the fur to fall off, and his mouth to unhinge as he reached forth to eat him alive._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“I don’t know if you can hear me,” Sam continued. He felt something cool against his forehead, fending off some of the pain. “But I miss you. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________His heart clenched, brow furrowing in discontent. He never was especially good at not concerning Sam when times were dire, the other man could see right through his explanations or flashy smiles. It had never been Sam’s fault, he’d tried so hard to help them. Bad’s mouth was dry and achy, but he tried to speak anyway._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Don’t say that,” He admonished. The light behind his eyelids began fading, the vision coming to a close. He didn’t know when he’d wake up next._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Silly muffin,” He mumbled tiredly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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__________________________________“Bad?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Mmmmm,” He mumbled, too tired to bother opening his eyes. Someone was sitting by him, and Bad shifted to curl against them without actually waking himself up fully. Thankfully; the other person seemed to get it. They pulled against him a bit, a hand intertwining with his own comfortingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Come on Bad, don’t you miss me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He grunted in return, beginning a painstaking process of cracking open one of his eyes. The voice was familiar, but he knew it couldn’t be real. Skeppy was as good as dead- the Skeppy he knew anyways.  
It was too bright, the lights reflecting off the sheets and into his eyes. But he could see his hand, dark as the abyss, looking clean with his fur brushed fairly well for not having done it himself. He couldn't remember feeling clean in so long._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Bad, can you look at me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________The voice is calm, but Bad had felt how the hand in his was shaking when it took his. He lifted his gaze, taking in the color blue. It reminded him of Skeppy even more, and how the egg had promised him to bring him back. He shut his eyes quickly, already feeling a slight burn from tears. “Want ‘Geppy,” He mumbled, feeling his vision already beginning to fade out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Oh Bad,” The voice sighed, distorted and faded as Bad’s head began to settle once more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Bad didn’t hear the rest of his sentence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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__________________________________All too suddenly, he found himself on a bench._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________It was around midday, and Bad could see someone soaring through the air on a trident. The noise of laughter was distant, and he didn't focus on it. There was a pillow behind his back and neck, and a blanket over his lap. He blinked sluggishly, twitching his hand against his leg. The air was cool and bit at his neck, where his hoodie zipper hadn't been pulled up all the way._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He could zip it up if he wanted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________He did so, with weak trembling hands, he reached up and pushed it up, hating how his hands couldn’t grab it right the first try. It was so hard, harder than it had any right to be. His hand dropped down as soon as he finished, claws clunking against the wood slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Bad?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________The voice came from his left side, just out of sight from his hood. He rolled his neck a bit to face the person, thankful for the pillow behind his neck. It was Tommy, a book clutched in his hand and wide eyes. Bad smiled at him, wanting to calm him down from whatever he looked so afraid of._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Hey Tommy,” His voice cracked at the edges, it was much hoarser than he could remember it being. But Tommy seemed overwhelmed still, placing his book against the railing he’d been sitting against and rushing forward to sit beside him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________“Hey, BBH. How you feeling?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________I’m fine, _rushed to his mind. He didn’t say it though, trying to remember how he got here. The egg had never shown him a vision like this before, it felt too real. It was too fleshed out, a splinter sticking out of the blanket catching his attention.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“I don’t know,” He admitted. Tommy doesn’t seem surprised._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“What do you remember?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________And that's just the question, isn’t it? Bad’s heart was starting to beat faster in his chest, his mind finally realizing that this might just be real. There was ink smeared across the back of Tommy’s hand, he could smell ash and barbecue in the air. It felt so real._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“I remember a small space,” He thought aloud, scrunching up his face in concentration. “It was dark and warm. I-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________He paused, trying to separate what was there from what he saw. “I had a lot of dreams I think. Nightmares.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________The question was burning on the tip of his tongue now, he felt his tail curl under the blanket to press against his side. It was something Skeppy had teased him about before- his tail emoting with him as if it had a mind of its own. But that was before Skeppy had turned red, he might never see him again. “Is this a dream?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“It’s not,” Tommy replied. He stayed silent for a moment before reaching into his inventory and pulling out a clock. “They say you can’t read time in dreams, try it. Trust me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad lifted his hand from the blanket again, grabbing the smooth metal carefully to not drop or dent it. It was cold against his touch, the hand ticking quietly along. It took him a second to read it, some strength slowly filling him as he continued to wake up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Three fifteen?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Tommy let out a shaky breath, bouncing his leg. “Yeah man, it’s three fifteen.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________He huffed out a breath, eyes wide in disbelief. The ticking was barely audible, the wind picked up for a moment before settling down. He looked back up at Tommy, feeling his hands shake against the device as he handed it back. “I’m out?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Tommy laughed then, harshly as he tucked the clock back into his inventory. “Yeah, you’re out, big man.”  
Bad could feel the cloth of the blanket heavy on his lap, the slight chill from before seeming so far away. He pushed the blanket off him, letting it slink down onto the porch. He tapped his foot, squeezed his hands into fists, and releasing them. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________He was in control._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Can you-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________His question was left hanging, Bad not looking to see the expression on Tommy’s face. He had failed him, he already knew. Tommy didn’t owe him anything._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“What?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Can I… have a hug?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad panicked instantly, wishing he hadn’t said anything in the first place. He hadn’t spent too much time with Tommy really, their last few interactions were hostile and cruel to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Oh, come here you dumbass,” Tommy rolled his eyes, pulling Bad closer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Language!” Bad grumbled back, hesitantly returning the hug. Tommy was pretty tall, but he only came up to Bad’s shoulder nonetheless. It was so much different than being in the egg’s embrace, so much more grounding than the constant state of drifting he’d been in. Still; he felt some relief when they separated. He didn’t like the idea of being confined much, even for a hug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“I suppose you’ll want to know what happened,” Tommy offered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________At Bad’s nod, Tommy looked out into the skyline. “Sam found Antfrost standing in the holy lands,” Tommy began. Bad already felt some shock, knowing that the holy lands had felt off to him before. “He wasn’t doing anything, just standing there. Sam talked to him, managed to convince him to get in the church, and then pushed him into the water.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad could vaguely remember that Ant had never been especially fond of water, his hybrid instincts were annoying to him like that. The mental image of Sam pushing him would be funny if Bad didn’t know Sam might’ve saved the SMP with it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Ant passed out then, didn’t wake up for a day. But when he did, his eyes weren’t red anymore.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad’s breath was shaky, noting to himself to make it up to Sam somehow. “Just like that?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Just like that,” Tommy agreed. “Ant explained that you had been taken by the egg a week before- he’d been struggling against the egg’s influence ever since. Said he could hear you crying any time he got close to the egg, could hear you screaming.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad winced, fiddling with his claws to distract himself from memories he wasn’t ready to relive. Thankfully Tommy seemed to get it, moving along fairly quickly. Bad didn’t think too hard on Tommy’s easy understanding- that was for another day._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Punz and Ponk were partially under the egg’s influence, but they couldn’t do much against everyone who showed up to fight- especially with how conflicted they were. You were-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad didn’t have to look at Tommy to know he’d be bothered. If he looked half as bad as he felt, he wouldn’t want to see that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Tommy tapped a finger against his leg, drawing Bad’s attention to him. His eyes were serious, mouth pressed into a thin line. “Your fur was in patches, stained with blood and dirt. You had- these vines stabbed into you and restraining you. I don’t know how you were even alive.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Tommy looked away, stretching out so his back was at a low angle. He was taking up as much space as possible without crowding Bad. “We pulled you out and got Tubbo to nuke it. Some buildings got a bit torn off the sides, but we couldn’t risk it growing back. It’s been about two weeks since we got you out. People have been taking turns watching over you when you’re in your… blank states.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Blank states?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Tommy hummed lightly, pulling on the leather bracelet around his wrist. “You kept waking up, never really there. You would stare into the distance and just sit there. We tried to get you to talk but-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Tommy shrugged. “No response.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad feels his chest ache with guilt, for making them worry so much. He would be beyond creeped out if someone did that. Apparently, he couldn’t just try to sacrifice his friends when he slipped up, he’d also left them to clean up his mess. “I’m so-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“No.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad blinked, glancing up to find Tommy glaring at him harshly. His brows furrowed, trying not to get worked up. “I’m sorry,” He finished. “I’ll make it up to you guys.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“BBH, I will bitch slap you so hard you’ll respawn,” Tommy stated in frustration. He barreled on as if he hadn’t shattered Bad’s expectations. “You were being mind-controlled by an over-glorified chicken egg with red shit smeared over it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“Language,” Bad couldn’t help but interject. Tommy let out a loud laugh, though only for a moment. “Tommy, I tried to kill you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“No, you didn’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Bad blinked, wondering briefly if this was actually a dream. “I chased you down with netherite armor, a trident, and a sword.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“You always let me get away,” Tommy retorted plainly. “Ant told me about what the egg said to you- it knew you were sparing me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________A moment of silence spread between them, Bad looked down as he tried to process everything. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, and he knew someone would come to the community house sooner or later. He didn’t have much longer with just Tommy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________“I don’t know if I did or not,” He admitted. “I could never tell if I wanted to do what I was doing, or if the egg did. I don’t know why I volunteered myself to feed the egg, or why I was always a bit too slow to catch you. But I should’ve been stronger than I was either way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________His eyes began to droop again, the conversation taking a toll on him. “Please forgive me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Tommy groaned, stretching out even further if possible. “If that's what It’ll take- then yes BBH, I forgive you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________He smiled leaning his head back to rest again. “Thanks, Tommy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________He fell asleep and didn’t dream._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks so much for reading this, it really means a lot to me. I honestly think there's not enough appreciation for BBH fic wise, and I had fun contributing! :)
> 
> I just love that he's canonically immortal, and wanted to imagine what would happen if the egg took advantage of that to grow stronger. I do think Bad and Ant could've caught Tommy considering they had him on low health and only Sam was between them. If they had really wanted to; Tommy likely would've been captured- at least that's what I think.
> 
> I know the egg's dialogue might be hard to read, and I'm sorry about that! I used a glitch text generator for it. Here's the link if you need it:  
> https://lingojam.com/GlitchTextGenerator
> 
> If anyone wants to steal this idea please feel free! I honestly just want to read more hurt/comfort for him.


End file.
